The Raiders are bringing some fresh faces into the mix for Week 4 against the Chiefs, and the inactive list tells the story. Aidan O’Connell is back in uniform, two players who had been staples are sitting out, and three Raiders are set to make their first appearance for the team or franchise.
The full list of Las Vegas inactives for Sunday includes:
QB Aidan O’Connell - Emergency 3rd QB
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson
CB Darrell Luter Jr.
SAF Tristin McCollum
DT Jonah Laulu
Brock Bowers, meanwhile, is good to go after a brief scare. He was added to the injury report with an illness, and despite some reporting that suggested he was questionable, his status never actually changed. He’ll play against Kansas City.
O’Connell’s return is a notable one. He has been away for the last two weeks while dealing with the passing of his father, and after initially being listed as questionable, he is now available again as the emergency third quarterback.
Powers-Johnson sitting is no surprise. He was already ruled out on Friday, and Caleb Rogers is set to start in his place for the sixth time in his young NFL career.
Darrell Luter Jr. is inactive for the third time in four weeks after Las Vegas claimed him off waivers following final roster cuts. His only game-day activation came in Week 2, when the Raiders needed him with Darien Porter out injured.
The most interesting changes are at safety and along the defensive line. Rookie fifth-rounder Dalton Johnson is active for the first time in his career and gets the nod over McCollum.
Johnson stood out in the preseason, and the Raiders appear to believe he fits this matchup better against the Chiefs. If he gets on the field, what he does on special teams will matter right away.
The other swap is Jonah Laulu out, JJ Pegues in. Laulu had been active for all 57 games since Las Vegas claimed him in 2024, so this is a notable shift.
It looks like a run-defense decision, with Pegues and Thomas Booker IV offering more of that profile against a Chiefs offense that will test the Raiders up front. This will be Pegues’ 2026 debut.
Bryce Cabeldue is also active for the first time. He was added just before Week 1 but hadn’t gotten onto the field yet. With Powers-Johnson out, the Raiders are giving him a shot in a reserve role, and he’ll likely be part of the special teams mix too.
Kansas City’s inactive list is much shorter. The big name there is starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who was already known to be out for Week 4. Still, the Chiefs have started 3-0 without him, so the absence doesn’t carry the same punch as Powers-Johnson’s for Las Vegas.
The only other names on Kansas City’s list are emergency third quarterback Grant Nussmeier, rookie defensive back Jadon Canady and preseason standout defensive end Jack Pyburn.
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The timing only heightens the intrigue, with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS in a game that could shape the early AFC West conversation. For a Raiders team trying to keep its momentum rolling, Wilsons prediction is the kind of outside support that gets noticed now and could look even bigger if Las Vegas backs it up on the field. [Read more 🡒]